Sony Announce FIFA World Cup 3D Schedule

The 2010 FIFA World Cup to be filmed in 3D by Sony has announced it schedule, with the opener: Mexico versus the host nation of South Africa on June 11. In addition to the initial contest, the 3D schedule is highlighted by three of the four quarterfinals, both semifinal matches, the 3rd-place game and the World Cup final on July 11. 3D filming will occur at five of the 10 World Cup stadiums: Soccer City and Ellis Park in Johannesburg, as well as venues in Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. All told, FIFA and Sony are teaming on 25 3D matches, as the world's most popular sporting event takes place in Africa for the first time. ESPN, the English-language, TV rights-holder to the World Cup in the U.S., is slated to present all of the competition's 3D matches on ESPN 3D, its fledgling service that has inked an affiliate pact on DirecTV

The following is a list of the 2010 World Cup matches that are scheduled to be filmed in 3D
June 11th - South Africa vs. Mexico
June 12th - Argentina vs. Nigeria
June 13th - Germany vs. Australia
June 14th - Netherlands vs. Denmark
June 15th - Brazil vs. North Korea
June 16th - Spain vs. Switzerland
June 17th - Argentina vs. South Korea
June 18th - Slovenia vs. USA
June 19th - Netherlands vs. Japan
June 20th - Brazil vs. Ivory Coast
June 21st - Spain vs. Honduras
June 22nd - Nigeria vs. South Korea
June 23rd - Ghana vs. Germany
June 24th - Slovakia vs. Italy
June 25th - Portugal vs. Brazil
June 27th - Winners of Group B vs. Runner up in Group A
June 28th - Winners of Group E vs. Runner up in Group F
June 28th - Winners of Group G vs. Runner up in Group H
July 2nd - Quarter final
July 3rd - Quarter final
July 3rd - Quarter final
July 6th - Semi final
July 7th - Semi final
July 10th - 3rd place play-off
July 11th - World Cup final

"Spatial View Converts PCs/iPods to Autostereoscopic 3D"

Spatial View Inc. (Toronto) has created a wide variety of lenticular screen overlays for PCs, laptops and iPod/iPhones that permit stereoscopic viewing of 3D images without the glasses. The company has been pioneering consumer 3D experiences in Canada and Europe since 2002, but now has brought its autostereoscopic expertise to the U.S. with a variety of accessories and software apps for Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch--all created by its research and development division in Dresden, Germany (Spatial View GmbH).


In Europe, Spatial View has been creating 3D public presentations for retail point-of-sale applications, digital signage, professional design shops, gaming, entertainment and animation. Spatial View currently has applications running in 15 countries worldwide and has offices in Hong Kong and San Francisco. For the U.S. market, Spatial View has created a line of autostereoscopic lenses and software which is calls the Wazabee 3DeeShell, which works with both laptop PCs and Apple iPhones/iPod Touch. For laptop PCs, its Wazabee 3DeeFlector fits over the LCD screen. To present images, the company offers its PowerPlayer ($349) which renders 3D stereo pairs for its lenticular overlays (as well as for shutter or polarized glasses). The PowerPlayer can also render 3D models created in computer-aided design programs. For iPhone/iPod Touch, Spatial View has created 3DeeSlide--a lenticular screen that slides into an accessory 3DeeShell ($49) that fits over the device and allows the lenticular overlay--called 3DeeLens--to be quickly slid in and out of the Wazabee 3DeeShell. Image capture and presentation software for the Wazabee 3DeeShell and 3DeeLens include apps for taking your own shots, assembling them into stereo pairs, as well as loading and storing them online for easy sharing. 3DeeCamera ($.99) assists you in using the iPhone's camera to take stereo pair images, including easy to use tools for aligning and adjusting the distance between stereo pairs. After shooting, the images can be stored paired in the the photo library and quickly recalled for viewing in analglyph, side-by-side, cross-eyed or autostereoscopic formats. The iPhone's accelerometer, which is used to automatically switch the screen between landscape and portait modes, will switch between side-by-side and cross-eyed views by rotating the landscape mode to the left or right respectively. A nice addition is the ability to adjust the distance between pairs while viewing them in either side-by-side or analgyph views using gestures: drag with one finger to align, pinch with two fingers to resize, and spin with two fingers to rotate the image. For viewing 3D images you have already taken and stored in the iPhone's image library, Spatial View created Wazabee 3DeeVUsion, which allows you to selec image pairs from the photo library. If you want to store your 3D images on Facebook, then download 3DeeFriends, which allows you to upload your images to the free Facebook server for storage, then easily select stereo pairs for viewing in anaglyph, side by side, cross-eyed or as interlaced autostereoscopic lenticulars. If you prefer Fliker over Facebook, then you should use the Wazabee 3Dee!oadr app, which allows stereo pairs to be stored at Flickr as side-by-side images then convert them on the fly to either anaglyph or lenticular formats for viewing with red-and-blue glasses or glasses-free respectively. Spatial View has also created a 3D video game for the autostereoscopic Wazabee 3DeeShell which allow you to view the game in stereo without any glasses. Called Hunter3Dee, the top-down space shooter game offers six levels of shoot-em-up sequences
Hunter 3Dee is a top-down space shooter for the Wazabee 3DeeShell. Fight through two zones and six levels in real 3Dee. Spatial View has also teamed up with with Google on its 3D modeling program called the 3DeeWarehouse, which stores models made in the 3D modeling program SketchUp, but which now can be viewed glasses free using the 3DeeShell. Spatial View has also teamed with Sony Music Entertainment to convert its 3D Blu-ray movies for viewing on the iPhone and iPod Touch in autostereoscopic mode using the 3DeeSlide a mobile accessory with the built-in lenticular lens. Last month at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, Spatial View directed the video entitled "Drown in the Now" for The Crystal Method, featuring a performance by Matisyahu taken from the band's recent album "Divided by Night" which is nominated for a Grammy in the Best Electronic/Dance Album category. UVPHACTORY created the video in Stereo 3D, and Spatial View adapted it for use with its 3DeeSlide.

"MEDIA: 3D Movies Come to Sony PS3 and Apple Mac"

Next3D is delivering stereoscopic 3D high-definition programming to Sony PS3 game consoles and Apple computers. Using the free downloadable player software with shutter glasses enables full 1080p 3D high-definition movies to be played on PS3's, XBOX 360's and Macs. Next3D delivers the 3D content over the Internet using a broadband connection to your computer or game console. Premium movis are pay-per-view and includes both mainstream 3D movies from the major studios, as well as movies originally produced for Imax 3D theaters.

Next3D will also offer user-created content channels for independent producers as well as bullitenboards where stereo photographers can post and share 3D videos and photographs. The Next3D Movie Player is free to consumers on every supported platform, including the XBOX 360, PS3 and Mac, as well as 3D-ready TVs from Sony, LG, Mitsubishi and JVC.

Former President of Coca-Cola and Turner Broadcasting, Steven J. Heyer, recently joined Next3D as Chairman. Heyer's international reputation as an operations/marketing executive and brand builder spans the entertainment, advertising, communications, and hospitality industries.

"I've looked at all the companies in the 3D space, and Next3D is best positioned to become the market leader with a combination of technology, strategic partnerships, first-mover advantage, and a great team to assure solid execution," said Heyer in a prepared statement.

"HARDWARE: IMAX 3D Cameras Return to Space"

The recent Hubble Space Telescope repair mission lugged along a 3D camera
The astronauts operated the 3D IMAX cameras to record the five intricate and difficult spacewalks required to service Hubble. That IMAX footage will be combined with a slideshow of the Hubbles best photographs of distant galaxies, nebula and other celestial objects. The mission is supported by IMAX Corporation, NASA (National Aeronautics Space Administration) and Warner Bros.

The resulting film will add to IMAX's 3D compendium of space films and will debut in the Spring of 2010. The Hubble's gripping story, in 3D, will give audiences a front row seat in one of the world's most immersive cinematic experiences.

The IMAX team visited the Johnson Space Center and instructed the Atlantis crew on how to film a 3D movie. The Commander and Pilot will double as 3D cameramen for the two repair teams of spacewalking astronauts. Another 3D camera will be permanently mounted outside the cabin in the shuttle's cargo bay to capture images of the historic final servicing mission.

"This represents a very special moment in IMAX history in which IMAX 3D technology has been selected to document one of our nation's most anticipated technological events. The Hubble Space Telescope has benefited all of humanity with a close examination of our universe. Now we can transport audiences right there, all through the power of IMAX 3D. With this upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope will continue to provide us with many years of service and this film will continue to tell its story for years to come," said Richard L. Gelfond, CEO of IMAX Corporation in a prepared statement.

"Hubble 3D will allow moviegoers to get a front row seat to see these amazing other galaxies thanks to the power of this incredible telescope. Through our partnership with IMAX, we've taken audiences to the depths of the ocean and put them in the driver's seat in NASCAR. Hubble 3D will continue this great legacy of taking audiences to places they would otherwise never get to go and will continue to inspire both young and old alike," said Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures in a prepared statement.

"Hubble 3D will transport audiences to distant stars and beyond. It is one thing to look up at the heavens, but through this amazing project, audiences will be able to witness some of the most astonishing astronomical objects known to humankind, all from the comfort of an IMAX 3D theatre," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We are thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. and NASA on this project and look forward to taking moviegoers to the outer edges of our universe through these extraordinary images in IMAX 3D."

"HARDWARE: InvenSense spins first pitch-and-yaw MEMS gyro"

Creating a new category of 3-D motion sensor is a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) chip invented at InvenSense--the brainchild of MEMS pioneer and company founder Steve Nasiri. By detecting the natural motions made by remote control users, including both those for TVs and other consumer devices like game consoles, the new MEMS chip from InvenSense is bound to be a winner. Nintendo has already designed in an InvenSense MEMS gyro for its forthcoming MotionPlayer controller for the Wii, but the newer motion sensor from the company will enable even more intuitive and agile controller. Look for widespread use of the new chip within a year, and watch for copy-cat annoucements even sooner as other MEMS chip makers rush to play catch-up ball.-R.C.J.
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What is claimed as the world's first pitch-and-yaw MEMS gyroscope is said to be able to sense the two axes used by remote controls and baton-shaped game controllers like the Wii. The MEMS gyro chip developed by InvenSense Inc. will be used in the upcoming Wii MotionPlayer accessory. At least two chips, one mounted in-plane and one mounted vertically, are required to create a pitch-and-yaw sensor, but developer InvenSense said its ring-shaped mechanical beam enables a completely planar MEMS chip to sense both motions used in Wii-like controllers.

"HARDWARE: Philips shuts down 3D TV division"

Philips glasses-free 3D display technology had been praised by industry analysts who had seen prototypes. Unfortunately, the display could only be used for showing 3-D images due to the permanently attached lenticular lens and its 2D-plus-Depth format had little content available. Furthermore the $13,000 price tag for the new displays was too high for consumers. Philips autostereoscopic display eliminated the need for special 3-D glasses by attaching a lenticular lens to the front of a 42-inch high-definition (1,920- by 1,080-pixel) LCD panel. Philips said its Consumer Lifestyle TV business will not be affected. That unit will continue to evaluate 3-D TV technology should Philips decide to reenter the market.

"MEDIA: Monsters vs. Aliens enabled by Intel's InTru3D"

Monsters versus Aliens, the 3D animation movie, showcases Intel's InTru3D technology for the first time, and is just the first of a continuing series of 3D movies from DreamWorks Animation LLC enabled by Intel.

"InTrue3D is a major effort and alliance we have with DreamWorks--Monsters versus Aliens is just the first InTru3D movie," said Hitendra Naik, Visual Computing Marketing Manager at Intel. "InTrue3D is our trademark that consumers can see for themselves in movies that were created from the ground up using state-of-the-art technology from Intel, with DreamWorks providing the creative talent to bring 3D to theaters."

Intel's extensive involvement with 3D technologies included printing 150 million pairs of ColorCoded glasses for the recent Superbowl halftime 3D show. Intel also already had a lasting relationship with Pixar Animation Studios, to which it supplies the server farms that render Pixar animations in 3D. So when DreamWorks got started with 3D animations, they naturally came to Intel for its already proven track record in 3D.

"The key thing is that 3D adds another level of complexity to the whole process of animation, which was already demanding more and more hardware support to do accurate rendering. With 3D the work is more than doubled, since you have to process the images for the left and right eye separately," said Naik. "DreamWorks approached us at Intel in terms of their needs for hardware and technology, telling us that they knew that otherwise they were going to hit a roadblock soon."

As a result, Intel now supports DreamWorks with its server farms that performed the 3D rendering, with Monsters versus Aliens being the debut of that collaborative effort with Intel. However, Intel's InTrue3D effort is not confined to supplying the rendering engine hardware, but the company also supplied the software expertise to optimize 3D rendering on Intel's servers in the most efficient manner possible.

"The other thing that we are adding, besides the rendering hardware comes from our software services group," said Naik. "We have a team of software architects, which are working with Dreamworks on their animation and rendering pipeline to take maximum advantage of our multi-core architecture. InTrue3D is a combination of the processing power of our servers, plus the software engineering that we provide, ultimately giving the creative forces at DreamWorks the freedom to create these 3D movies."

Monters versus Aliens opens worldwide today, but is just the first of DreamWorks' 3D movies to showcase Intel's InTru3D technology. Both Pixar and DreamWorks have pledged to not only release all their future movies in both 2D and 3D formats, but to go back and re-render their animation catalog in 3D, with most existing titles to be available in 3D by 2010.